Wichita eagle., 1887-06-28
a CHRONIC BOOM.

A CHRONIC BOOM.
Wichita q City Which Doubles it's Pop
ulation in TWO Years.
Correspondence of the Richmond Und) Palladium
WICHITA, Kas., June 2, 1887.
Never was the Shakesperian adage,
There is a tide in the affairs of men
which taken at its flood, leads on to for
tune" more fully exempli6ed than today in
Wichita. Men, who few years ago, felt
property poor, are now quite wealthy.
People who really and seriously tried to
stranded on the beach of Kansas hard times
were caught upon the incoming tidal flood
and carried to fortune.
AS recently as 1870, only seventeen
years ago, this town was begun. In 1888
they had 5000 population, In 1885 there
was 10000 There was literal doubling
up in two years. But now, in 1887, they
claim a population of 10000, and it looks
very much as if they had it, surely.
TIE growth and boom of this town is
phenomenal. No other city in America
presents such an example. The question
is invariably asked, what is there here to
cause this boom?" There can be no salts
factory answer unless that would do saying
that it come from the pure grit and enter
prise of the people themselves. There are
no mines, no large navigable river, no tim
Der. no natural gas, and finally, no natural
advantages at ALL IT'S built on perfectly
fiat country.
l asked the president of the Savings
bank about this and he said, 1--WE could
build city on the desert of Sahara"
The enterprise of these people is wonder
full and inspiring. The first night they
met to organize a board of trade they put
the membership fee at one hundred dollars
and raised fourteen thousand dollars.
To one who has left city where no
building is going on It's sweet music to
hear the sound of hundreds of hammers
and saws and catch the merry whistle of as
many builders of houses. Everywhere in
and around Wichita you see buildings 60
ing up. from frame cottages to magniti-
cent business blocks and enormous hotels.
While the real estate boom in this place
has been stupendOus and hundreds of
thousands dollars have been made by what
is often called ''illegitimate speculation, y
yet the legitimate branches of trade, whole
| sale and retail have kept apace and the
merchants have grown rich. Even the
| lemonade vender, the peanut seller, the
corner fruit dealer, and the many persons
selling goods from under canvas topped
sheds have made money.
So numerous were the real estate trans
fers this spring that the recorders fees
were over five hundred dollars day, and
he employed day and night force to
| transcribe the hundreds of deeds.
| Theatres are running every afternoon
and evening, and large number of coaches
| for hire are seen running about all over
the city. There are thirty miles of street
car lines, and tracks are being laid for an
| extensive electric system Of cars.
There are so many Indiana people in
! Wichita that they have an Indiana restau-
rant.
A stock company of 100000 was
quickly organized and is boring for nat
| ural gas. The people are determined to
have it. Natural gas would be of meal
culable benefit to this city, for there are no
coal mines near and no timber. The fuel
question is serious one here. So Is drain
age. Being perfectly flat, it will be no
slight task to give Wichita perfect and
healthful drainage.
. The Arkansas river divides the city into
East and West Wichita. Building and
business developments are going on amaz-
ingly on both sides.
There are many young men in Wichita
worth from one hundred to one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars, all made in the
last two or three years.
There are no saloons in Wichita, but
they say there are number Of Joints -
little rooms back of barber shops or restau-
rants. where one can get vile whisky or
stale beer. Prohibition does not absolutely
prohibit and never will, nor does its pro
moters expect absolute tetotalism as re-
suit; but truth compels me TO say that the
law of prohibition in Kansas is success so
far as the eye goes. Go from Topeka,
Kansas, a city of forty thousand, with no
saloons, straight into Kansas City, Mis-
souri,, and YOU will readily see the differ
ence. Everything in Kansas City is on the
outside. II is true. The saloons are open,
with no screens. Front doors are ajar on
Sunday. and customers go in and out with
| impunity. Along the street opposite the
union depot there are some very low drink
ing places and staggering men are COM
mon sight. Now these things are not seen
| in Kansas towns. l say that, 50 far as the
eve Can see, prohibition is success In that
state. If underneath this fsir exterior there
is as much liquor drank on the sly SIS there
| is In Missouri openly and above board do
not know il, and no casual observer knows
il. If there is a sly, sneaking. hidden
traffic going on in Kansas, the prohibition
there is worse than a failure, and while II
is secretly making drunkards II is also
raising goodly crop of-very coniempubls
hypocri;es But do not say this hidden
consumption is largely carried on l had
1 -. 9;n1 ~vA
| ignorance.
Henry George has pointed out the de-
nIorabIe fact that - towns grow into cities
and develope MANUFACTURES, azu, &c, and